Thunder In Paradise
by melia
Summary: A thunderstorm in Stars Hollow traps Luke, Lorelai, Rory and Jess in Luke's appartment. Same story, but it's now all one chapter!


A/N: Reposting this one again, and hopefully this time it'll have paragraph breaks. *crosses fingers*

Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own: Bring It On, Casablanca, Pauly Shore, Jeep, A Walk to Remember, The Breakfast Club, Star Trek or Star Wars, Doctor Strangelove, Miss Congeniality, or Harold and the Purple Crayon. Actually, my sister owns a copy of Harold. I tried to steal it from her, but she found it. Also, most of the characters mentioned belong to Amy and the other people at Dorothy Parker Drank Here.

Author's Note: Geez, I wish it could be as easy to write a term paper as it was to write this story. That'd be great. But anyway. In this story, Dean and Rory aren't together, and Rory and Jess haven't kissed, and Lorelai and Luke aren't arguing. I guess that makes it an AU. 

"Rory. Hey, Rory. Wake up kiddo." Rory cracked open one eyelid just far enough to see that it was still dark in her room. With a grunt, she pulled her blankets over her head, intending to get another hour or two of sleep. Her mother had other plans, however. She snatched the blankets out of Rory's hands and pulled them all the way down to the foot of the bed. This meant that Rory had to switch to sleep-later tactic number two: the old "pillow over the head" routine. This, too, failed. Lorelai grabbed the pillow out of Rory's hands and began swatting her daughter with it.

"Rory, get up, or I'll make you watch Bring It On." This brought Rory partially out of her stupor.

"You wouldn't."

Lorelai saw that her daughter was close to caving in, so she began quoting lines from the movie. '"Look, it's sexy Lesley and Jan Jan the cheerleading man!'"

"Mom, stoppit."

'"U.G.L.Y., you ain't got no alibi…'"

"Mom, don't sing."

'"Missy's the poo, so take a big whiff.'"

"Alright, I'm up!" To prove her point, Rory sat up and opened her eyes. "What time is it?"

"9:30."

"At night?"

"Nope. In the morning."

"But, it's so dark."

"Yeah. We're supposed to get some huge thunderstorms today. So, I thought we could go get breakfast, rent some movies, buy hot chocolate mix and marshmallows, and veg out all day long."

"But, Mom, I have so much homework!"

Lorelai dismissed this with a wave of her hand. "Aah, do it tomorrow."

Rory thought about it. She could do her biology in an hour, and the book report for History wasn't due for two weeks. She could knock off the analysis of Hamlet in a few hours, and her math teacher hadn't assigned anything for the weekend.

"Ok." Rory pointed a finger at Lorelai in warning. "But don't even think about renting Bring It On." Lorelai grinned evilly.

-----

In the Jeep on the way to Luke's, it began to rain heavily.

"See, Mom, I told you we'd get rained on if we walked." Rory glanced at the sky, and her brow crimped in worry. "Mom, it's really nasty-looking. Maybe we should have just stayed home."

"Well, we could have, but we would have starved to death."

"Oh."

"We don't even have coffee."

Rory gasped. "That's awful! When did you figure that out?"

"Well, I knew we were low on coffee, but this morning the tin was empty! Which is why I woke you up at 9:30."

Rory nodded. "I wondered why you were so anxious to get to town. You know, if you'd told me that we were out of coffee this morning instead of threatening me with that movie, I probably would have gotten up a lot faster."

"Yes, but how unpleasant would that be? 'Hey, Rory, it's 9:30 on Saturday and we have no coffee. Good morning!'" The sarcasm was evident in Lorelai's voice. Rory thought of a counter argument quickly.

"So waking up to dialogue from Bring It On is supposed to be pleasant?"

Lorelai shrugged and grinned at her daughter. "Hey, at least I didn't mention the toothbrushing scene." Rory groaned.

-----

As they drove though town, it was surprisingly empty. The only sounds were the drumming of rain on the roof of the Jeep and the occasional rumble of thunder. Lorelai parked right in front of Luke's Diner, and she and Rory sprinted to the door. When they got there, they found that the closed sign was in the window and the door was locked. Getting wetter by the second, Rory and Lorelai pounded on the door and shouted. Finally, Luke came downstairs and let them in. The women pushed into the diner and stood there, looking at Luke. He, in turn, looked at them. Lorelai was the first one to speak.

"Luuuuuke… why is the diner closed?"

Luke looked confused. "Didn't Taylor call you?"

Now Lorelai looked confused. "Nooo. Taylor called you?"

"Yeah. What with the big storm coming through, he shut the town. Told everyone to stay inside and watch out for tornadoes."

The look on Lorelai's face changed to shock. "He can do that?" She turned to Rory. "Can he do that?"

Rory opened her eyes wide. "I guess so. I mean, he did, so there probably isn't much that we can do about it."

Lorelai's facial expression changed again, this time to disappointment. "But, what about movie day? Where will we get food? Taylor didn't tell me that he was going to shut the town, or I would have bought food yesterday."

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Lorelai, you're standing in a diner. Food isn't a big concern."

Lorelai turned to the flannel-clad man in front of her. "Well, that's great for now, but what about lunch and supper and breakfast for tomorrow and coffee! We have no food in our house, Luke, and no Coffee!" Lorelai's voice got higher with each word she uttered, and she waved her hands around like the world was ending. 

Luke waved his hands in a "calm down" motion. "Once again, Lorelai, you're in a diner. Food, and coffee," he added quickly, "are not an issue."

Lorelai calmed down slightly. "But, movie day…" she whined.

Luke sighed in exasperation. "Lorelai, why don't you and Rory stay here today. I have food and coffee; and I have towels so you can dry off." Rory smiled appreciatively at this last comment. She was getting quite cold. "Look, why don't you two go upstairs. Jess can get you some dry clothes, and I'll make you something to eat. Pancakes ok?" Lorelai nodded hungrily and stayed downstairs to monitor the making of breakfast, but Rory went upstairs to dry off.

"Jess? Are you here?"

Jess emerged from his room. "Rory? What are you doing here?"

"Taylor didn't call us, so we didn't stay home." Suddenly Rory shivered violently. Jess snapped out of his confused state and moved to her side. Seeing how cold she looked, he wrapped an arm around her back and walked her into the apartment. Without having to ask, he brought her to the bathroom and began running hot water in the shower. Rory sat down on the lid of the toilet and wrapped her arms around her trembling form. She didn't notice when Jess left, but looked up when he returned carrying a towel and a small pile of clothing.

"I brought you some of my clothes. Don't know if they'll fit, but it's better than changing back into wet clothes." Rory thanked the dark-haired teen and he left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

-----

Fifteen minutes later, Rory emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of Jess's jeans and a red long-sleeved shirt that had 'Barney's Gas' written across the front. The clothes were large, but not falling off; and they were warm and dry, so Rory wasn't going to complain. As she walked into the main room, Luke and Lorelai also entered. He carried a plate of pancakes, and she held a large, full pot of coffee. Lorelai looked slightly scandalized to see her daughter dressed in Jess's clothes, but realized that it made sense. Warm and dry and all that.

"Well, aren't you two just the cutest couple since Ricky and Lucy."

Luke glowered at his nephew. "Shut up, Jess."

Lorelai had a better response. "Well, I guess that makes you Fred." As she set the coffee down on the table, Rory piped up. "Ooh, can I be Ethel?" As the other three turned to look at her, Rory realized the implications of what she had just said. Lorelai and Luke looked horrified, and Jess had a pleased smirk on his face. Rory backpedaled furiously.

"That is, um, I mean…Well, you two… and Lucy and Ricky, so Fred and… um, uh… Mom, do you have a comb?" The non sequitur didn't throw anyone off of her previous blunder, but they all realized how uncomfortable she obviously was, so they let it slide. Lorelai fished a comb out of her purse and tossed it to her daughter, who caught it and escaped to the bathroom.

-----

After they had eaten, Luke did the dishes and Lorelai took a shower. She came out decked in a very big flannel shirt and pants that were two sizes too large. A reluctant look was on her face.

"Um, Jess. I know that we haven't always gotten along, but may I suggest a truce for today? And," she added before he could talk, "could I borrow a pair of pants? Luke's are way too big."

Jess realized what a hard thing this was for Lorelai to do, so instead of tossing out a comment about getting in his pants, he nodded and left the room. He came back holding a pair of brown corduroys. Shrugging, he explained. "Grams gave them to me. Dunno why I brought them here; I never wear them…" Shrugging again, he handed the pants to Lorelai. "They should fit you."

Lorelai took the pants and went back to the bathroom to change. When she was out of hearing range, Rory turned to Jess with a knowing smile on her face. 

"Jess Mariano, you are full of surprises. Who knew that underneath that James Dean exterior lurked a softie who keeps pants from his grandma even though he doesn't wear them?"

Jess mock-glared at Rory. "Hey, I let the Ethel comment go." Rory held up her hands in surrender and smiled.

Just then, Lorelai returned from the bathroom, and Luke came in from the kitchenette. The four stood in silence until Jess flopped into an armchair. "So, now what?"

Lorelai brightened. "Movies!" She turned to face Luke. "You do have movies, right?"

Luke nodded and gestured towards a cupboard. Opening the doors, Lorelai discovered a 13 inch TV/VCR and a stack of five films. "Luke! You own Casablanca?!" Before he could protest that it was Rachel's and she had left it behind, Rory spoke. 

"Ooo, Mom! We have to watch it and teach Jess and Luke how to play the Kid Game!" Lorelai was already putting the movie in the VCR as Rory turned to explain the game to the two confused men behind her. "The Kid Game is, every time Humphrey Bogart says 'Here's looking at you, kid', you have to say it backwards back to him." Lorelai joined Rory as she said "Dick oy ta Nick cool seer."

Luke shook his head. "I refuse to play that game. Can't you two just watch a movie? Without quoting dialogue or playing some obscure game?"

Lorelai grinned at him. "Nope. Hey, do you have any popcorn?"

Luke looked incredulous. "You just ate five pancakes drowned in syrup. How could you possibly be hungry?"

Rory explained. "Oh, it's not to eat. It's to throw at the screen every time Victor Laszlo comes on."

"No! Not in my apartment!"

Lorelai pouted. "You're no fun."

"Hey, you're the one who didn't stay home."

"Yeah, well, you're the one who invited us in."

"Only because you were drenched and hungry."

Before this could generate into an argument, Rory interrupted. "Hey, pipe down, the movie's starting." She plopped down in front of the TV and motioned for Jess to join her on the floor. He did, and Lorelai snatched the armchair. Luke looked around him, shook his head, and went to make popcorn.

-----

"…I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship." Rory and Lorelai said along with the film. Sighing identically, they rose from their positions on the floor (Lorelai had moved there about 10 minutes into the movie) and stretched. Luke stopped the film and began rewinding it, and Jess brought the empty popcorn bowls back to the kitchen. He had just returned and was about to talk to Rory when a loud crack of thunder exploded overhead and the hydro went out. Rory let out an 'eep' of fright, which allowed Jess to find her in the dark. Reaching out, he hugged her to him, and she held onto him tightly. From the direction of the TV cupboard came a thump and a curse. Lorelai called out.

"Luke? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just stood up and ran my head into a shelf."

"Oh, ok. Rory, are you ok?" A note of motherly concern had crept into her tone. Rory smiled against Jess's shoulder, then lifted her head to answer. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok, well, don't move. You might run into something. I mean, Luke lives here, and he just whacked his head against a shelf."

"What about me?" asked Jess. "Doesn't anyone care about how I'm doing?" Too quietly to be heard by anyone but Jess, Rory whispered "I care." The statement was nearly drowned out by Lorelai's inquiry into his well-being, but Jess heard it. He replied that he was just fine; thank you for asking. Suddenly Luke swore again.

"Luke! There are young, impressionable minds in this room!"

"Sorry." He apologized, not really meaning it. "Jess, I left the flashlight in the kitchen after I fixed the deep fryer. Could you go get it?"

Jess didn't really want to go anywhere, but he agreed and shuffled slowly out of the room. A few minutes later, the crash of falling pans signaled his arrival in the kitchen. The same curse that Luke had just uttered came floating up the stairwell.

"See?!" crowed Lorelai victoriously. "What did I tell you? Impressionable minds!"

-----

A few minutes later a light beam bobbled up the stairs with Jess following close behind it. When he entered the apartment, everyone let out a small sigh of relief. Lorelai took charge.

"Alright, now we use the flashlight to find the candles. Where are they?" she asked as she turned to Luke. He was shaking his head.

"I don't own any candles."

Lorelai looked stunned. "No candles? But…"

Luke looked aggravated. "Well, it's been a while since the last séance, and I used them all then. What do you expect, Lorelai? This is a bachelor pad. That means that a bachelor," he added, pointing to himself, "lives here. And bachelors generally don't keep candles."

This set Lorelai back for a second, but she wasn't down for long. "Well, at least tell me that you have extra batteries!"

Jess answered this one. "Nope; don't have those either." 

Luke glared at his nephew. "Thanks a lot." He turned to Lorelai to explain. "Look, I only use that flashlight for fixing things. The power never goes out, so I rarely need batteries. I just put new ones in, so why would I have more lying around?"

Lorelai was on the verge of mild panic. "Well, do you have a generator? Cuz, running a diner, you should really have a generator. So the food doesn't go bad."

Luke was nodding. "I have one of those."

"Then why isn't it working?!"

"Because, Lorelai, I work from 6 in the morning until 9 at night making food for the residents of Stars Hollow. When I'm done that, I go to bed and sleep in preparation for the next day."

Lorelai softened immediately. "I'm sorry, Luke. I'm just freaking out a bit. I think it's the weather. And the dark."

As she finished speaking, the hydro snapped back on. Everyone blinked in the sudden light, and Jess turned off the flashlight. 

"Well, that was convenient. I should've complained about the dark earlier. Hey, Luke, let's go hook up that generator while we can see what we're doing." Luke nodded and the two left the room.

Rory turned to Jess. "So."

"So."

"Do you have any new books?"

Seeing that Rory's intent was to read, Jess nodded. "Yeah. But I have a better idea. Your mom didn't look at the rest of the movies, but believe me, there isn't anything good there. How 'bout we go rent some?"

Rory's brow crinkled. "But, the video store is closed."

Jess shot a look at Rory. "You're looking at someone who's been picking locks since he was 10. C'mon."

-----

As Rory and Jess prepared to leave, Luke and Lorelai attempted to hook up the generator. This involved Luke attaching wires and grunting occasionally, and Lorelai pointing to random wires and singing "The head bone's connected to the neck bone; the neck bone's connected to the shoulder bone…" until Luke glared at her.

"I could use some help down here."

Lorelai kneeled down beside Luke and pretended to be helpful. Grabbing a black wire and a yellow one, she touched the ends together. Sparks shot out from the connection, so she quickly disengaged them. "So, Luke, what are you going to name it?"

"Lorelai. I am not naming this generator." His tone brooked no argument.

"Well, then, I will. It's name is…" Lorelai thought for a while, then perked up. "Janet! And whenever it doesn't work, you can sing 'Damn it, Janet' from The Rocky Horror Picture Show!" She addressed the generator. "Hello, Janet!"

Luke grunted one final time and stood up, brushing off the back of his jeans. "I think it's done."

Lorelai grinned engagingly. "Well, I guess we'll find out when the hydro goes off the next time." Leaning down, she patted the generator. "Seeya later, Janet!" Then she, too, stood, and she and Luke went back upstairs. When they reached the apartment, they saw a note taped to the TV. Lorelai went and snatched it off and read it out loud.

'"Dear Mom and Luke – We went to the video store. Back in ten. Rory.' Well, how will they get in?" she finished sarcastically.

-----

In the meantime, Jess and Rory were already at the video store. Rory was wearing Luke's dark green raincoat, and Jess held an umbrella. Rory looked around guiltily as Jess picked the lock.

"It's ok, Rory, no one besides us is crazy enough to be outside in this weather." Rory nodded, and Jess opened the door. Walking inside, they moved through the store and passed through the Rory Curtain. Rory immediately moved to the drama section, and Jess gravitated towards the comedies.

"I only have ten dollars, so we can take 4 movies. And please, nothing with Pauly Shore in it." Jess nodded to indicate that he understood his end of the deal, and within five minutes he and Rory were out the door with the movies. A ten dollar bill sat on the counter. Rory figured she'd explain what happened, minus a few details, when she returned the movies.

"You know, this is the second crime I've ever participated in."

Jess looked at Rory questioningly. "Second? What did you do the first time?"

"I shoplifted cornstarch." Rory stated.

"Cornstarch?" Jess couldn't decide whether to laugh out loud or call the nearest hospital. "Why cornstarch?"

"Well, I was talking to Dean, and he kissed me, and I had a box of cornstarch in my hands, and I was so shocked that I ran out of the store without paying." 

"Wow. So, do you always fall in love with the guys that you commit crimes with? Or was Dean a special case?"

Rory blushed. "Who said that I'm in love with you?"

"So you aren't?"

"Well, no one said that, either. I just… I don't know. Maybe I do fall in love with my partners in crime."

"Which would explain why we've been holding hands since we left the video store, and you haven't even noticed."

Rory looked down. They were holding hands, and it seemed so comfortable and natural that she hadn't noticed. She looked back up and smiled at Jess. "I guess so."

-----

When they got back to Luke's apartment, the adults had some choice words to say to the teens. Rory explained that they had left money to cover the cost of renting, but Lorelai was really caught up in the breaking and entering aspect of their jaunt. When Rory waved a copy of A Walk to Remember in front of her mother's face, however, Lorelai piped down.

"I knew I raised you right." She turned to Luke. "Now, Luke, we are going to put this movie in, and turn the volume all the way down, and make up our own dialogue. And you are going to help. You play Landon, and I get to be Jaime. Jess and Rory, you guys are everyone else." Luke seemed about to protest, but Lorelai held up a hand. "No arguments." Realizing that he wouldn't win, and that it would just be easier for him to give in, Luke did so.

The next two hours were hilarious. Lorelai used an incredibly fake Austrian accent, and even Luke got into the spirit of the thing. They all used big words and made up improbable scenarios and generally had a good time. When the movie was finished, Lorelai and Rory went through their stretching routine, and Luke began preparing lunch.

After their meal, everyone trooped back into the living room, and they watched The Breakfast Club. It was obvious why Jess had chosen it: the characters in the movie were all stuck in Saturday detention together, much like the four of them were stuck in Luke's apartment. Lorelai and Rory cited most of the dialogue, and Jess joined them on the most memorable line of the movie: "I want to be just like you. I figure all I need is a lobotomy and some tights." He grinned as he said it, remembering when he'd used the line on a jock in his school. The jock hadn't gotten it.

When credits rolled, Lorelai made an announcement. "I'm bored. What else is there to do here?"

Luke huffed. "The bachelor pad thing comes into effect again. Not much to do here. Well…" he added slowly, "there is…"

Lorelai pounced on the idea. "What? Tell me tell me tell me!"

Luke glared at her, but he was smiling slightly at her enthusiasm. "I think I have Monopoly somewhere around here." This made Rory as excited as Lorelai.

"Oh, I get to be the banker!"

Lorelai frowned at her daughter. "You always get to be the banker."

"Well, I'm good at it. You can't count. You always give me too little money and yourself too much!"

Lorelai grinned. "That's not bad counting, that's strategy."

Luke went out to get the game, and when he returned, Lorelai and Rory were still arguing about who would be the banker. Luke interrupted. "I'm the banker. My game, my choice."

Now Rory and Lorelai joined up against Luke, but he was resolute. Eventually the girls gave up, and the game began. Within an hour, Lorelai went bankrupt.

"Ha!" cheered Rory. "You just can't count!" 

Lorelai pouted. "Can we start a new game?"

In unison Luke, Jess, and Rory said "No!"

"Fine then. I'll just ask all sorts of questions and generally annoy the crap out of all of you so that you'll stop playing and we'll do something fun. Luke, where did you get this game? I mean, I didn't really have you pegged as a Monopoly kind of guy."

Absentmindedly, Luke responded. "My aunt gave it to me for Christmas a while ago."

Lorelai immediately forgot her previous poutiness. "Is this the same aunt who gave you the Star Trek shirt that you wore every day for a year?"

Too late, Luke realized what he'd said. "Um, no…"

But Lorelai was on a roll. "Hey, what did Spock say when he was trapped in an Italian bakery?" Without giving anyone time to answer, she yelled out the punch line. "Beam me up, biscotti! Get it? Biscotti, instead of Scotty!" She began laughing at her own wit. Rory joined her, and Jess chuckled grudgingly. Luke wasn't amused.

"I told you, I only wore that shirt to make her happy. She was a little senile, and it was the only thing she wanted to see me in."

"Every day?! Luke, that's a bit extreme. I think you really liked that show." Lorelai began humming. "Dun dun dun, dun Da dun, dun Da dun…"

"Mom, I hate to interrupt, but that's Darth Vader's theme, not the theme from Star Trek."

"I know that, Rory. Really, do I look like the type of person who knows the Star Trek theme music?"

"Point well made." Rory joined her mom in the series of dun's and da's. Luke put up with it for about thirty seconds before he cracked.

"Alright, fine, I liked the show. Now will you give up?" By now, no one was focused on the game anymore. The comedy unfolding before them was much more entertaining.

"Ha! You admit it!"

"Shouldn't have done that, Uncle Luke." Jess interjected.

"You liked Star Trek! You probably own paraphernalia! I bet you have one of those communicator buttons! And possibly a Captain Kirk lunch box! You are never going to hear the end of this one, Danes. Oh boy. This is so much fun!" Lorelai kept babbling about Luke's Star Trek obsession for a while. Everyone tuned her out and resumed playing.

-----

Three hours later, Rory shouted in triumph as Jess landed on Broadway. "Yes! You owe me…" She quickly calculated the amount. "$950!"

Jess counted out the money he held in his hand. "I only have $800." He handed it to her. "Congratulations Rory. You rule the Monopoly board."

Rory grinned happily. "Do I get a crown?"

"Nope." He held out his hand to help her up off the floor. "But you can have a book, if you want."

Rory's eyes lit up. "Any book?" Jess nodded. Letting go of Jess's hand, Rory scampered into his bedroom. Flipping on the light, she gazed around the room in awe. There were books everywhere. Milk crates held unknown numbers, there were stacks on the floor, and three or four books peeked out from the rumpled covers on Jess's bed. Rory didn't know where to start. 

Jess moved into the room and came to stand beside her. He pointed to a stack on the floor. "Those are all Hemingway, so I assume you don't want any. Over in that corner are my Anne Rice books, and those three milk crates hold Shakespeare, Frost, Hardy, Kissinger, Homer and Austen. The box is full of books that were adapted to movies and vice-versa. And these," he concluded, opening a drawer in his desk, "are my kids books. Robert Munsch, all the Encyclopedia Brown books, a few Little Mr. and Little Miss books…"

This drawer interested Rory. Walking over, she flipped through a few of the books on top. The fourth book she saw made her eyes twinkle and brought a glow to her cheeks. Holding it reverently, she turned to Jess. "I can take any book?"

"Yep." Jess would have handed his soul on a plate to Rory if he thought it would make her this happy. "Which one is it?" Rory held the book out so he could read the title. "Harold and the Purple Crayon." He bowed slightly. "An excellent choice, m'lady." 

Rory curtsied in response. "Thank you, m'lord." She sat down on the end of the bed and opened the front cover. There, written in red crayon, was Jess's name. The 'j' was backwards and the 'e' was capitalized. Rory traced the letters with her finger. "How old were you when you got this?"

Jess joined her on the bed, sitting crosslegged with his back against the headboard. "My mom gave it to me when I was 4. It was the first book I ever read on my own. Well," he amended, "I didn't really read it. I made my mom read it to me every night before I went to bed. I memorized it, and pretended to read it." Jess smiled, and a note of melancholy crept into his voice. "That was before my dad left, and mom wasn't too drunk all the time to read to me."

Rory looked at Jess sympathetically. "Are you sure you don't mind me taking this one? Cuz, I can take something else, if you want to keep this one."

Jess shook his head. "Nah. I said any book and I meant it. But if you feel that guilty about it, you could read it to me." 

Rory smiled and crawled up the length of the bed to sit beside Jess. She opened the book, took a breath, and began reading. "One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight." She flipped the page. "There wasn't any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight. And he needed something to walk on." As she turned the page again, she shifted closer to Jess. "He made a long straight path so he wouldn't get lost. And he set off on his walk, taking his big purple crayon with him." The third time Rory flipped the page, Jess put his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned against his chest. "But he didn't seem to be getting anywhere on the long straight path. So he left the path for a short cut across a field. And the moon went with him." Rory flipped the page again, and Jess began reciting the words with her. "The short cut led right to where Harold thought a forest ought to be. He didn't want to get lost in the woods. So he made a very small forest, with just one tree in it." Flip. "It turned out to be an apple tree. The apples would be very tasty, Harold thought, when they got red." Jess stopped talking and sat forward. Rory lowered the book, a questioning look on her face. Reaching up, Jess cupped Rory's face in his hands. Slowly, he lowered his face to hers and gently kissed her lips. Rory responded by lacing her hands behind his neck and kissing him back.

The sound of a throat being cleared made the teens spring apart. Luke stood in Jess's doorway, arms folded across his chest. "Dinner's ready. If you two are interested." Rory was blushing furiously, and Jess looked annoyed at the interruption. Luke turned around and marched back to the kitchen. Jess and Rory stood without speaking and followed him out of the room. 

-----

Supper consisted of spaghetti and garlic bread which Luke and Lorelai had made. Well, Luke had made the spaghetti, and Lorelai opened the bottle of sauce. She also opened the bag that the garlic bread had come in, and put that in the oven. And then proceeded to watch the cooking process. And get in Luke's way. All of that aside, the meal was a good one. When everyone had eaten their fill, (they had to wait for Lorelai to finish her third helping) they decided to watch one last movie before turning in. In a show of hands, Dr. Strangelove beat out Miss Congeniality, so everyone sat down to enjoy some of Stanley Kubrick's finest work. At the end of the movie, Luke and Jess were shaking their heads in confusion, and Lorelai and Rory were holding their stomachs, which ached from laughing. When they had calmed down, Luke assigned beds. Rory and Lorelai could share Luke's new double bed, he would take Jess's, and Jess could sleep on the sofa. This was the most practical arrangement, and it was quickly agreed upon by everyone except Jess.

"Why do I have to sleep on the sofa? I could sleep in my bed, and you could sleep on the sofa." He grumbled, looking at Luke. 

"My house. I call the shots. Besides, you're young. You can afford to miss a night of sleep. I have a job to do tomorrow, so I get the bed."

Lorelai scoffed. "You aren't old, Luke. Or, if you're old, I'm not far behind you. So, no complaining." Jess looked happy to have an ally. Lorelai noticed. "But, Luke gets the bed." Jess raised his hands in surrender, and everyone went their separate ways.

-----

Later that night Rory, still wearing Jess's clothes, went to the bathroom. On her way back to Luke's room, she stopped in the living room. Jess was sound asleep on the sofa, wearing a pair of cutoff denim shorts and a faded black t-shirt. All the blankets were pooled around his ankles. Rory stepped over to the couch and tugged the blankets up to Jess's shoulders. Kneeling down, she brushed a kiss on his forehead. She stood back up and was turning to leave, when she heard him whisper her name. She turned back around to see Jess sitting up.

"Oh, sorry Jess. I didn't mean to wake you up."

He shook his head. "No, it's ok." He patted the seat beside him. "We never got to finish Harold and the Purple Crayon."

Rory sat down. "But, it's still in your bedroom."

Jess smiled and tapped the side of his head. "Doesn't matter. I have it memorized." 

Rory smiled back at him before cuddling up to him, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Jess picked up the story where they had left off earlier.

"So he put a frightening dragon under the tree to guard the apples. It was a terribly frightening dragon. It even frightened Harold. He backed away. His hand holding the purple crayon shook. Suddenly he realized what was happening. But by then Harold was over his head in an ocean. He came up thinking fast. And in no time he was climbing aboard a trim little boat. He quickly set sail. And the moon sailed along with him."

Jess stopped to listen to Rory's breathing. It was deep and even. She was asleep. Moving slowly so that he wouldn't wake her up, Jess pulled the blanket over the two of them and rested his head against the back of the sofa. In minutes he, too, was sleeping peacefully.

-----

The next morning, Luke woke up at 5:30, as was his custom, so he could have breakfast before starting his day at the diner. As he moved into the living room, he spotted the dark hair of his nephew and Rory as they slept sitting side by side. When he moved around the sofa and saw that they were fully clothed, he let out a breath of relief. Then he smiled. The teens looked… cute. Then Luke shook himself. If anyone could hear his thoughts… He moved to the kitchen before he could do any more damage to his brain by using prepubescent words like 'cute'.

When he reached the kitchen he was shocked again. Lorelai, dressed in her own clothes again, was sitting at the table with a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. She smiled at Luke as he entered.

"Morning, Luke."

"Morning."

Luke moved around the kitchen as quietly as he could, preparing himself a mug of green tea, before joining Lorelai at the table.

"So, you saw Rory and Jess?"

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah. As much as I'm not so in love with your nephew, I have to admit that they look cute together." Luke startled as he heard his own thoughts coming out of Lorelai's mouth. "You know, Luke, you've done a really good job. I mean, Jess came here and he was this majorly rebellious, antisocial teen, and now… Well, he's still rebellious and semi-antisocial, but Rory seems to really like him, so there must be something good about him. And his attitude has improved. A little. Anyway, I meant for this to be a reflection on how good a parent you're turning out to be, and…" The rest of Lorelai's sentence remained a mystery. She was too busy responding to Luke's kiss to think about what she was trying to say.

As abruptly as Luke had started the kiss, he ended it. "Lorelai." He cleared his throat as he moved towards the counter. "Um. Sorry about that." He leaned forward on the counter so he didn't have to look at Lorelai as he scrambled to find an excuse to explain his actions. "Um, it's really early, and I didn't expect to see you there. You kind of surprised me, actually. Because, you're a girl, and there hasn't been a girl in my house since Rachel left, and…"

Once again, a sentence went unfinished. This time, Lorelai moved to where Luke was, slipped under his arm, and kissed him. When she stopped, she moved back as far as Luke's arm would let her. "Don't apologize, Luke. It was fine. Actually, it was really nice."

As Luke looked at the woman standing between him and the counter, he decided to say what he was thinking. "It was nice." Finally, a finished sentence! And at it's conclusion, another kiss. This one was longer than the first two, and both adults were ready for it. When they broke off, they were smiling.

"Yep, you two are definitely the cutest couple since Ricky and Lucy." Luke and Lorelai looked to the kitchen entranceway. Jess was leaning against the doorframe, and Rory was leaning against Jess.

"And who are you to speak, Fred?" responded Lorelai.

-----

All in all, there was very little damage from the storm. One or two tree branches had to be removed from the parks and streets of Stars Hollow, and Kirk was surprised to find a ten dollar bill on the counter of the video store, but apart from that, life returned to normal.

Except for the four people who spent a day in Luke's apartment. Their lives got better.

THE END 


End file.
